Furry Worry

Cat Insomnia

Buster and Pink can't sleep and have spent quite a bit of time on line, searching for dog alternatives - cat - a pulting us even further into fantasy. Some of their ideas......

Junkyard Dog was on the Hammerker Schlemmer website and is no longer available. I wonder why?  Too many cat-astrophes? He sounds great for only $129.00 - particularly the cross-species trick. Constructed from "scrap" this robotic mutt performs a programmable series of up to 80 moves - if he listens, that is.  He cocks his head, twitches he ears, wags his tail, sits, stand and scampers freely. The remote controls 18 different tricks like "shake hands" and "play dead". Programmed to "malfunction" he requires his owner to reset his circuits straight. Whether happy, angry or crazy, his slot-machine eyes express his moods and desires - food, running wild or the call of nature. Entering a code on the mutt's control panel reprograms him as a cat, a junkyard guard dog warning of approaching strangers or rescues him from a breakdown. 

From Amazon for only $2099.00 (money is no object for cats), the Genibo QD Robot dog  can walk around on its own, recognize its owner with its own eyes, respond to spoken words and touch, play tricks, and cuddle up to the owner as if alive.  Scratching the ground, standing on front paws, dancing, Taekwondo, etc. The Genibo expresses its feelings through approximately 700 emotional actions, the emoticon LEDs in its eyes, and puppy sounds. It can recognize human faces, such as the owner's face, through the camera on its nose. As it gets closer to its owner, the Genibo becomes happier and better at finding and following its owner. Genibo is a dog-like four-legged robot which has 15 motors and an intelligent robot algorithm. It can be operated by two cats working together. 

The Martha Stewart Make Your Own Dog

A can-ine aluminschnauzer is a real stretch of the imagination but the cats figure we could do it with their supervision. They suggest using a cat food can for the head and finishing him off with a bit of wardrobe - perhaps a sturdy pair of pyjamas to reduce the shine. The sleeves could be pushed up -  no problem. This little item is available at Wal Mart where dogs cats prefer to shop. Could we call these "the cat's pyjamas"?